An unfortunate way to start off Valentine’s Day at East Lansing, but here we are. Authorities continue to search for potential suspects after a Monday night shooting left three people dead and at least five others wounded at Michigan State University.
According to the Lansing State Journal, the suspect is a 43-year-old man and had no affiliation with the college; his motives behind the shootout are still unclear. Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said several victims suffered life-threatening injuries while five were in critical condition at Sparrow Hospital.
The shooter, whose name was not immediately released, was located outside of Michigan State’s campus and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Chief Rozman added, “We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight. That is part of our ongoing investigation.”
A tweet posted by MSU as the shooting commenced:
MSU ALERT: There have been shots fired near Berkey Hall on the East Lansing campus. Please secure-in-place immediately. Police are active on scene. More information to follow. pic.twitter.com/xa4KlwXJWN
— MSU Police and Public Safety (@msupolice) February 14, 2023
The university posted the following alert at the top of its website shortly after the shooting:
“MSU Police reports a shooting has occurred at the East Lansing campus. This is an active and ongoing situation. Secure-in-Place immediately. Run, Hide, Fight. Run means evacuate away from danger if you can do so safely, Hide means to secure-in-place, and Fight means protect yourself if no other option.”
According to authorities on the scene, the first shots were fired at Berkey Hall, a classroom building on the north side of campus and another victim was shot at the MSU Union, a popular lunch spot and study. Students were ordered to shelter in place at 8:30 pm.
Interim President Teresa Woodruff called the abrupt and somewhat random shooting as shocking and heartbreaking. “We are devastated at the loss of life. Our campus grieves, we will all grieve. We will change over time. We cannot allow this to continue to happen again.”
As of now, all Michigan State athletic events are cancelled. This is a developing story with more details to come.
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